Lavandula plant named ‘Anouk Deluxe 1225’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lavandula plant named ‘Anouk Deluxe 1225’, characterized by its upright and broadly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; no requirement for a vernalization period for flowering; dark purple-colored flowers and purple-colored terminal flower bracts positioned on strong and erect peduncles; long flowering period; and good postproduction and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lavandula stoechas.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ANOUK DELUXE 1225’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Lavandula plant, botanically known as Lavandula stoechas, commonly referred to as Lavender and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Anouk Deluxe 1225’.

The new Lavandula plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Nuis, The Netherlands and Boskoop, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new unique Lavandula plants with good performance and attractive plant form and flower coloration.

The new Lavandula plant originated from an open-pollination in May, 2015 of Lavandula stoechas ‘Anouk’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,685, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection of Lavandula stoechas as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lavandula plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Nuis, The Netherlands in May, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lavandula plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Boskoop, The Netherlands since August, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Lavandula plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lavandula have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new Lavandula plant. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Anouk Deluxe 1225’ as a new and distinct Lavandula plant:

-   -   1. Upright and broadly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit; plants do not require a vernalization         period for flowering.     -   4. Dark purple-colored flowers and purple-colored terminal         flower bracts positioned on strong and erect peduncles.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Good postproduction and garden performance.

Plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Anouk’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavandula are larger and bushier than         plants of ‘Anouk’.     -   2. Plants of the new Lavandula do not require a vernalization         period for flowering whereas plants of ‘Anouk’ require a         vernalization period for flowering.     -   3. Plants of the new Lavandula have dark purple-colored flowers         and purple-colored terminal flower bracts whereas plants of         ‘Anouk’ have purple violet-colored flowers and violet-colored         terminal flower bracts.

Plants of the new Lavandula can be compared to plants of the Lavandula stoechas ‘Silver Anouk’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,068. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of ‘Silver Anouk’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavandula are larger and bushier than         plants of ‘Silver Anouk’.     -   2. Plants of the new Lavandula do not require a vernalization         period for flowering whereas plants of ‘Silver Anouk’ require a         vernalization period for flowering.     -   3. Plants of the new Lavandula have dark purple-colored flowers         and purple-colored terminal flower bracts whereas plants of         ‘Silver Anouk’ have dark violet-colored flowers and         purple-colored terminal flower bracts.

Plants of the new Lavandula can also be compared to plants of the Lavandula stoechas ‘Toscane’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,046. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of ‘Toscane’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lavandula are larger and bushier than         plants of ‘Toscane’.     -   2. Plants of the new Lavandula do not require a vernalization         period for flowering whereas plants of ‘Toscane’ require a         vernalization period for flowering.     -   3. Plants of the new Lavandula have dark purple-colored flowers         and purple-colored terminal flower bracts whereas plants of         ‘Toscane’ have purple-colored flowers and light violet-colored         terminal flower bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Lavandula plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lavandula plant.

The photograph (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Anouk Deluxe 1225’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photograph and following detailed description were grown in 12-cm containers during the late spring in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Lavandula production. Plants were pinched one time and were ten months old when the photograph and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 20° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula stoechas ‘Anouk Deluxe 1225’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lavandula stoechas ‘Anouk’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,685.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of             Lavandula stoechas, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About ten days at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 60 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 70 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; initially white in color             and becoming more brown with development; actual color of             the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water             quality, fertilizer type and formulation.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and             broadly spreading plant habit; flattened globular plant             shape; freely branching habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit; moderate growth rate; flowers arranged in             verticillasters on crowded spikes with showy terminal flower             bracts.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 15.5             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 23.5             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 27.5 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About 14             primary lateral branches and about 60 secondary lateral             branches developing per plant. Length: About 4.8 cm.             Diameter: About 1.75 mm. Internode length: About 1.7 cm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: Primary lateral             branches, upright to about 80° from vertical; secondary             lateral branches, about 20° from primary lateral branch             axis. Texture and luster: Moderately tomentose; matte.             Color, when developing: Close to 144A to 144B. Color,             developed: Close to 143B; with development, close to 199A             and 199B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.             Length: About 5.2 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Narrowly             oblanceolate, flat. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire; revolute; not lobed. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Moderately tomentose; not rugose; matte.             Fragrance: Strongly aromatic, pungent. Venation pattern:             Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             137C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137C; venation,             close to 144B; pubescence, close to NN155D to lighter than             NN155D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A;             venation, close to 143B; pubescence, close to NN155D to             lighter than NN155D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type, arrangement and habit.—Small single salverform             flowers arranged in compact verticillasters on crowded             terminal spikes; freely flowering, about 325 flowers             developing per inflorescence and more than 10,000 flowers             developing per plant; flowers with two-lobed upper lip and             three-lobed lower lip; flowers face mostly outwardly on the             spike; inflorescences with showy terminal flower bracts.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; continuous             from late spring into the summer in The Netherlands; plants             begin flowering about 13 weeks after planting; plants do not             require a vernalization period for flowering.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last about             four weeks on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Elliptic. Texture and luster: Moderately tomentose;             matte. Color: Close to 144B; distally, tinged with close to             177A; at the apex, close to 60C to 60D; pubescence, close to             NN155D.         -   Inflorescence size.—Height: About 7 cm. Diameter, at             terminal flower bracts: About 3 cm. Diameter, below flower             bracts: About 1.9 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 mm by 4.5 mm. Depth             (height): About 7 mm. Throat diameter: About 1 mm. Tube             length: About 6 mm. Tube diameter: About 1 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Upper lip, two-lobed and             lower lip, three-lobed. Length, upper lip: About 7 mm.             Length, lower lip: About 7 mm. Width, upper lip: About             1.75 mm. Width, lower lip: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Roughly             spatulate; lower 72.5% fused into a tube. Apex: Obtuse,             rounded. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Texture and             luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety; matte.             Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous;             moderately velvety; slightly glossy. Texture, throat and             tube: Moderately tomentose; matte. Color: When opening,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to between N92A and 79A.             Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to between             N92A and 79A; venation, close to between N92A and 79A; color             becoming closer to N92A with development. Throat: Close to             79B to 79C; venation, close to 78B to 79C. Tube: Close to             79C fading proximally to close to NN155C; venation, close to             79C fading proximally to close to NN155C.         -   Terminal flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: About             seven positioned upright at inflorescence apex. Length:             About 1.3 cm to 3.8 cm. Width: About 9 mm to 16 mm. Shape:             Obovate to narrowly obovate. Apex: Broadly acute to obtuse.             Base: Narrowly cuneate. Margin: Entire; moderately undulate.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly             tomentose; matte. Color, upper surface: Close to N79A, N79B,             N80B and N80C; main vein, close to N77A; pubescence, close             to NN155D. Color, lower surface: Close to N81B; main vein,             close to 187A; pubescence, close to NN155D.         -   Basal flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Each group of             five flowers is subtended by a single basal flower bract.             Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 9.5 mm. Shape: Broadly             rhomboidal. Apex: Broadly aristate. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Sparsely to moderately tomentose; matte. Color, upper             surface: Close to 186B and 186C; venation, close to 147B;             pubescence, close to NN155C. Color, lower surface: Close to             60C; venation, close to between N186C and 200A; pubescence,             close to NN155C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, fused into a             campanulate tube. Calyx length: About 8 mm. Calyx diameter:             About 1.75 mm. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 0.5 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and             luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and             luster, lower surface: Densely pubescent; matte. Color: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 145A;             venation, close to 146A. When opening and fully opened,             lower surface: Proximally, close to 144B; distally, tinged             with close to 188A; at the apex, close to 60C to 60D;             pubescence, close to NN155C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture and             luster: Moderately tomentose; matte. Color: Close to 143A             and 143B; distally, tinged with close to N77A; pubescence,             close to NN155D to lighter than NN155D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to 77B to             77C. Anther shape: Reniform. Anther size: About 0.5 mm by             0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 11D. Pollen amount: Scarce to             moderate. Pollen color: Close to 156D. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma diameter: About 0.5 mm. Stigma color:             Close to N187A. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color: Close             to NN155D. Ovary color: Close to 143B to 143C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not             been observed on plants of the new Lavandula. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Lavandula     have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Lavandula plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lavandula have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate high     temperatures about 40° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness     Zones 7 to 10. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lavandula plant named ‘Anouk Deluxe 1225’ as illustrated and described. 